


Reraise

by coffee_o



Category: Love Live! School Idol Festival (Video Game), Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Christmas Date, F/F, Fluff, Love Live Secret Santa 2017, rated T only because riko is being too gay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-03-01 14:06:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13296474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffee_o/pseuds/coffee_o
Summary: Three times Riko tries or fails to call Yoshiko ‘Yocchan’. Alternatively, Yoshiko and Riko spend Christmas together.





	Reraise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fiorrella](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fiorrella/gifts).



> For fiorrella, part of love live secret santa 2017 ! Merry belated Xmas and have a great year ahead! I love all your yohariko fics they give me life and heals my soul :’) and I’m really sorry I was supposed to get this done as soon as possible. This probably isn’t what you’re looking for but please...take it…and I hope you’ll enjoy it, even if a little!

_You can do this, Riko._ Riko chants to herself, staring at her own image in front of her mirror.

 

_There’s no reason why you can’t._ The burgundy haired girl steels herself and lets out a short huff.

 

Ever since Yoshiko gave her a nickname, it had bugged Riko that she still doesn’t have one for Yoshiko. Yoshiko hadn’t seem to mind, and Riko knows that their relationship will stay strong even without using nicknames but Riko just could not help but think about it.

 

A nickname that encompasses both  _Yoshiko_ and _Yohane_ , both being integral to Yoshiko’s identity.

 

_Yocchan._

 

The nickname comes easily to her, and Riko wonders if Yoshiko will like it.

 

"Y-Yocchan..." Riko says experimentally, testing the name and a split second later, she feels her face burning slightly and she buries her face into her hands.

 

_This is kind of embarrassing..._

 

Riko looks up to her reflection in the mirror once again.

 

"Yocchan." She repeats. This time, the name rolls off her tongue more easily.

 

Tomorrow, Riko decides. Tomorrow, during their date is where she shall proceed to bring up the nickname.

 

* * *

 

To be fair, Riko thinks to herself, calling Yoshiko ‘Yocchan’ even before their Christmas date seems kind of weird. Then again, rules of normalcy don’t really apply to their relationship.

  
“Yoshiko-chan, are you ready?” Riko finally calls from outside Yoshiko’s room. Yoshiko’s mother has kindly let her in, and figuring that her girlfriend might have overslept, Riko decides to check up on her.

 

“ _Y-Yeah, in a minute! And it's Yohane!_ ” comes the reply and Riko almost smiles. Yeah, Yoshiko definitely overslept.

 

A few seconds later she hears a loud crash from inside and Riko winces to herself inwardly.

 

“Is everything alright?” Riko asks, concerned. Knowing Yoshiko, the dark haired girl had probably stumbled over something on her bedroom floor.

 

“ _Y-Yeah! Everything’s fine!_ ”

 

Yeah, everything’s definitely not fine. Worried about her girlfriend, Riko reaches for the doorknob hesitantly. 

 

“Are you sure? Maybe I should go in-” Riko opens the door, only for her head to come in contact with Yoshiko’s.

 

Yoshiko staggers back with a wince, holding her head with her hands.

 

“Ah- I'm so sorry, Yoshiko-chan-”

 

“It-It's okay, Lily.” Yoshiko recovers almost immediately, striking a pose, as her voice deepens by a notch.

 

“Ku...ku ku…this is nothing for a being such as Yohane, the fallen angel. In fact-”

 

“- the barrier of darkness that surrounds the fallen angel does not break easily, right?” Riko finishes Yoshiko’s sentence, her lips twitching into a fond smile.

 

"As expected of my elite demon, Lily!"

  
"Why, thank you then," Riko chuckles playfully, almost teasing.  

 

Yoshiko's face reddens further, and Riko’s heart skips a beat. It is moments such as this that make Riko remember how vulnerable, and yet how adorably awkward the younger girl can be, and it makes her heart swell with warmth and affection.

  
Almost subconsciously, Riko reaches out and before the dark haired girl could say anything, Yoshiko feels a soft pat on her head.

 

“Yoc-”

 

_Yocchan._ The word that Riko wants to say dies in her throat.

  
“Lily…?”

  
“J-Just smoothening out some stray hairs,” Riko blurts out, fumbling for an explanation, face flushed red. What was she doing?! She almost said it! Riko feels like hiding under a rock for doing something so embarrassing.

 

“Okay…?” Yoshiko still looks confused but shrugs it off, dismissing it as a quirk of Riko’s that she’ll never understand.

 

“Shall we go then?” Riko clears her throat, changing the subject entirely.

 

“Yeah,” Yoshiko nods and they leave.

 

* * *

 

“Ugh...it's too cold…” Yoshiko sniffles as she tries to warm herself up by rubbing her palms together to generate some warmth.  

 

They are now walking down the streets in Numazu, without any particular goal in mind. They just had lunch in a nice and quaint cafe as per Riko’s suggestion and are now enjoying the Christmas scene in town.

 

“I can't believe you forgot your gloves…” Riko comments.

 

“Such is the misfortune of the fallen angel…” Yoshiko sighs. It could be worse, Yoshiko supposes. At least she hasn't slipped on anything on the streets, or had any other mishaps along the way. Being born slightly unluckier than others can be daunting at times, but it has led Yoshiko to Yohane, and destiny has also guided her to Riko. If there’s anything she’s thankful to god about, if they do exist, it would be the existence of Riko, her  _Lily_ in her life.

 

Riko’s gaze softens at the somewhat dejected sight of her girlfriend.

 

“Here,” Riko offers her gloves with a small smile.

 

“Huh?” Yoshiko’s eyes widen, surprised.

 

“You’re cold right?” Riko elaborates, pushing the gloves into her girlfriend’s hands. “I’m fine without these anyway.”

 

“B-But-” Yoshiko tries to protest but the Riko shakes her head, with another smile.

 

“I..Thank you, Lily…”

 

“You’re welcome-”  _Yocchan._  “- Yoshiko-chan.”

 

Riko exhales, and sighs inwardly. It's harder than she thinks, and she wonders why that is so. It had seemed easy for Yoshiko to call her ‘Lily’.

 

_Next time._

 

Next time, she’ll say it.

 

* * *

 

For a day such as Christmas, Riko is a little surprised that the arcade is a little crowded. 

 

Knowing how much her girlfriend likes the arcade, there’s no way they wouldn't make a stop there. Riko chuckles to herself, her expression softens as she regards her girlfriend fondly, the latter hopping onto  _Dance Dance Revolution,_ with an excitement rivalling a child getting their Christmas present.

 

Seeing how her girlfriend’s eyes had lit up at the mention of the arcade almost makes it worth the trip made there.

 

Yoshiko is  _good._ Riko stares at the younger girl in unconcealed awe as Yoshiko manages to pull off yet another complex dance move, her left foot striking the lit up arrow on the dance pad in a precise and smooth manner just as the song ends.

 

_Since when was Yocchan this good?_

 

Riko flushes, catching herself already referring her girlfriend as ‘ _Yocchan’._ Perhaps, right from the beginning, Yoshiko is already  _Yocchan_ in her heart. A good and polite girl at heart, and an eccentric yet dangerously fun and beautiful fallen angel.

 

Yoshiko hops off the machine and gives Riko an ear-splitting grin.

 

The red hue on Riko’s face darkens as she realises that sweat is dripping from the side of her girlfriend's forehead. Riko gulps, her eyes betraying her emotions as they trail down Yoshiko’s neck-

 

Oh god, she feels faint.

 

“Lily!” Yoshiko’s chirpy voice, thank goodness, cuts out any further thoughts and Riko feels like she should dunk her head in a bucket of ice-cold water to cool her entire head.

 

“Let's play a round together!” Yoshiko half drags Riko to the machine.

 

“E-Eh? Wait-! Yoshiko-chan!” Riko starts to protest. There's no way she's able to dance like her girlfriend did. Besides, she feels self-conscious. What if she messes up? There's already a small crowd near them, excitedly murmuring among themselves.

 

“I-I can't do this!” Riko hisses under her breath, as a sense of anxiety starts to rise within her.

 

“If it’s you, Lily, you can do it.” Yoshiko stops and turns around, looking at the older girl. She squeezes Riko’s hands reassuringly, her amethyst eyes serious, yet there’s an almost vulnerable look hidden in its depths. Riko finds herself lost for words.

 

“It has to be you. My elite demon,  _Lily,_ the only one fitting to be my partner _._ Will you descend with Yohane?”

 

Leaving it as an open question from Yohane, Riko knows that Yoshiko has given her a choice. She’s calmed down a little, and she also knows that given their school idol activities, dancing to arcade songs would probably be a child’s play.

 

She still feels a tiny bit of anxiety, but looking at how earnest her girlfriend is, Riko knows the answer already. It’s Christmas, and there are no expectations to be held in arcade games. Knowing Yoshiko, this is her own way of reaching out to Riko, and to have fun together.

 

She breathes in and releases her breath. A smile curls up her lips.

 

_In the name of fun._

 

“I accept.”

 

* * *

 

The end of the date draws near and Riko feels that this is her last chance. She knows that there's always another day, and there's no rush….but she wants to say it now. Her conviction has already been set, and she feels it's the  _right_ time.

 

Walking down the familiar street towards Yoshiko’s house, Riko’s heartbeat quickens in anticipation. The tips of her ears redden a little, as she takes a breath. The tension in her remains, tinges of nervousness radiating off her slender frame.

 

Yet, it’s as if she has a newfound courage. There’s a light flutter in her stomach that vaguely resembles excitement.

 

_Ba-thump._

 

Riko swallows the dry lump in her throat.

 

_Ba-thump_.

 

“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then, Li-”

 

Before Yoshiko even gets the chance to finish, Riko finds herself moving, her arms snaking around her girlfriend’s back as she leans forward into a hug. She feels Yoshiko stiffening at her sudden action and she presses her face against her girlfriend’s back.

 

“Yo-Yocchan…” Riko whispers shyly, her voice almost inaudible.  

 

Yoshiko sucks in a short breath, surprised, as Riko slowly releases her. Feeling the warmth on her back leaving her snaps her out of her daze as she turns to face Riko, whose face is beet red.

 

“Y-Yocchan.” Riko repeats, this time, she's less hesitant. She averts her gaze bashfully.

 

Yoshiko feels blood rushing to her cheeks as her throat becomes dry all of the sudden.

 

“Is it...alright for me to call you Yocchan?”

 

The third time’s the charm as Yoshiko opens her mouth and tries to speak, but finds herself sputtering incoherently.

 

“L-Lily!” Yoshiko finally blurts out, a tad too loudly, grasping her girlfriend’s hands.

 

“I-I m-mean-” Yoshiko stammers, extremely flustered. She has no idea how to react at all - how is she even supposed to react when her girlfriend suddenly gives her a nickname? Wait.  _Yes._ She should be saying  _yes._ Oh god, did she just stutter?

 

Her mind draws a blank, as Yoshiko frantically tries to think of something to say,  _anything,_ before Riko misunderstands her silence as rejection.

 

Riko offers a tentative smile, and this prompts Yoshiko to drop any inhibitions as she leaps forward, arms wrapped around Riko’s neck. The dark haired girl tightens her hug, and nuzzles against the crook of her girlfriend’s neck. She knows she’s shaking a little, but the warmth from the older girl comforts her, and she feels her heartbeat settle.

 

“Thank you, Lily.”

 

Yoshiko feels a nod against her scarf, and finally releases a grin.

 

“Merry Christmas.”

 

“Merry Christmas...Yocchan.”

 

* * *

 

_Yocchan._

 

Yoshiko recalls the soft and gentle way Riko had called her, testing out the new nickname hesitantly and she feels her face burning with yet another bout of embarrassment as she throws her face into her pillow.

 

Yocchan.

 

Yoshiko groans into her pillow, unmoving on her bed.  _Lily is being so unfair…_ Yoshiko knows that her face is still burning, yet she can't seem to get the image of her girlfriend out of her head.

 

Yoshiko hadn't expected Riko to give her a nickname - it didn’t seem like it was something Riko would do.

 

So when Riko suddenly came to a halt in front of Yoshiko’s house and had hugged her from behind, Yoshiko had found herself at loss for words; her heart had skipped a beat. It was rare that Riko had taken the initiative, being shy to do so.

 

And the way Riko had looked- red-faced, yet determined but awfully shy, Yoshiko had found herself falling for her girlfriend all over again.

 

Yoshiko buries her face in her pillow once more. It was totally unfair that Riko had looked so adorable and cute when called her by her new nickname.

 

It was an unexpected surprise, but not an unwelcomed one.

 

“Yocchan huh?” Yoshiko mumbles under her breath as she rolls over her bed. Seconds later, she finds herself grinning dumbly, her heart giddy with a newfound sense of excitement.

 

_I like it._

**Author's Note:**

> I’ve re-written this like 3 times?? T_T I tried switching between Yoshiko’s and Riko’s pov but it didn’t really work out and ended with this. At some point I have no idea what i was writing anymore. Constructive criticisms are always welcomed!!


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